American National Public Radio

[victoria]

I've been listening to the KUSP and KCLU radios lately and one thing drew my attention.Namely,there was a special day on which people listening that specific radio were asked to make a pledge.People making this broadcast were almost begging listeners to call them and support them maintaing they cannot exist without their pledges.And here comes my question : doesn't US government give any funds to support radio stations? Is it,like, the same with schools which pay their way from local taxes and not get money directly from the Washington D.C? Do radio stations have to cope with this situation(I mean trying to survive) on their own without any hepl from the government?

[KenWalsh]

Most American radio and television stations are supported by commercial sponsors. However, public radio and television stations avoid commercial sponsorship in order to provide public services that are not based on the highest ratings (and commercial sales). The stations often carry alternative news programs, cultural programming, and educational programs (e.g., Sesame Street).

Formerly many of these stations were mostly subsidized by the federal government or by the universities where they are generally located. However, government funding of the arts, public TV and radio has been decreasing since President Kennedy's administration in the 1960's. Instead stations appeal to their listeners for more and more of their operating expenses. They typically spend two or three weeks each year with a continuous pledge drive in which they ask listeners/viewers to call in and make monetary pledges that they will follow up with later.

My favorite radio station is WSHA (http://www.wshafm.org/) whose programming is mostly jazz and alternative news programming. You can listen to it on the Web, but I do not recommend listening to any station during a pledge drive. It will really get on your nerves.

The local all news (mostly) public radio station, WUNC, is found at www.wunc.org/. Some of the most popular evening programs on the local public television station are actually British comedies.